Las Vegas Mass Shooting: Southlanders Confirmed Injured, Killed By Gunfire

Over 22,000 country concertgoers at Mandalay Bay did not immediately understand what was going on when shots rang out that killed at least 58 and injured over 400 attending the Route 91 Harvest Festival country concert event Sunday. Southern California residents witnessed the Las Vegas shooting unfold, praying for friends and family awaiting news after the the worst mass shooting in U.S. history.

Nearly a dozen Southern California law enforcement and fire department officials and city workers were among the injured and dead in the massacre at the Las Vegas Strip music festival.

At least two Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department employees, two Los Angeles Fire Department firefighters, three Los Angeles County Fire Department employees, a Torrance firefighter, an Orange County sheriff's deputy, a Los Angeles police officer and two Newport Beach employees, including an off-duty police officer, and were wounded in Sunday night's shooting. A gunman perched on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino unleashed hails of bullets on fans watching the festival as headliner Jason Aldean performed.

Four off-duty Manhattan Beach Police Department employees were attending the Las Vegas concert Sunday where the mass shooting occurred, according to a MBPD press release. Rachael Parker, a Manhattan Beach Police Records Technician, was shot and died in the hospital. The Manhattan Beach Unified School District has confirmed that one of its special education teachers, Sandy Casey, was killed.

An Ontario Police Officer and his wife were both confirmed shot by that department, the officer is reported in critical condition, according to FoxLA report. One Orange County Sheriff's Department deputy and multiple members of other department personnel were reported as being injured by gunfire during the mass shooting, OCSD reported Monday morning.

"All were non-life threatening injuries," Jamie Wilkins, OCSD public information officer said.

Two of the injured work in Newport Beach, according to the Newport Beach Police Department. One police officer and one city employee, according to information officer Jennifer Manzella.

Orange County Fire Authority had seven employees and family present, but no injuries at the greatest tragedy with one of these shootings in the United States, according OCFA Steve Concialdi said.

One Los Angeles County sheriff's employee was shot during the melee and was listed in critical condition Monday, while a second suffered lesser injuries, authorities said.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell said the critically injured deputy is assigned to the Norwalk station. The other wounded person is a male sergeant who is assigned to the "executive offices." Their names were not released.

A Los Angeles Police Department officer assigned to the Foothill Division was shot in a leg in the mass shooting, said Officer Rosario Herrera of the LAPD's Media Relations Section, adding that the officer was the only LAPD officer wounded in the massacre.

Brianna Taylor of Orange County told NBC4 she and her fiance were near the front of the stage near country singer Jason Aldean, who was performing at the outdoor concert when the bullets began to rain.

The shaken Taylor said she first thought it was fireworks, but "seconds later, we found it was a lot more serious that" as she saw two people within 10 feet of her get shot.

"We just stayed as low as we could for awhile," Taylor said. "(But) as soon as they said they needed medics, we knew we were sitting ducks.

Watch: Couple Describes Witnessing Las Vegas Shooting

"I said 'Babe, this can't be how we die, this can't be how we go.' So we just got up and ran behind the stage and got out," eventually hiding with about 200 other people in a helicopter rental company.

"Instinctively, when you get a chance to run for your life, you run for your life," Taylor said.

Orange County resident David Wolfe said on a televised broadcast that his wife and daughter were at the concert.

Wolfe said he was "in absolute panic; scared to death until my wife called and said they were OK."

As is usually the case, Las Vegas was teeming with Southland residents Sunday night. A Long Beach resident who attended the festival described how he helped carry an unconscious woman out of the line of fire.

Al Quackenbush was at the open-air festival when the gunfire rang out and survived the massive scramble for survival.

"(We) carried a girl who was shot," said Quackenbush, describing the victim as a woman in her 20s. "We carried her behind a concrete pillar with her friends, then we got out of there. We are safe."

"We heard many shots," Quackenbush said. "Like 300-plus shots. I figure it was an automatic rifle. We were right there."

With initial reports of multiple shooters in numerous locations in Las Vegas, Sheriff Jim McDonnell activated the Department Operations Center shortly after the shooting was reported and readied a response team that included SWAT teams and a bomb squad, the Sheriff's Information Bureau reported.

Additionally, a Super Puma helicopter was prepared for deployment but was stood down after the Las Vegas Metro SWAT team determined that a single shooter was involved, located him and killed him.

More than 50 people were killed and more than 200 injured by a lone gunman shooting from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino before he was shot to death, authorities said. He was identified as Stephen Paddock, 64. Police were seeking a companion of the alleged gunman named Marilou Danley, an Asian woman who's 4 feet 11.

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This is a developing story. More information will be added as it is released.

Photo, David Becker / Getty Images News / Getty Image

City News Service contributed to this report.